Stephen King's Golden Years

All right. Okay.

Here we go.

- How are you doing, Rick? - I'm doing good. You?

Fine.

I like the spring. I think I want to die in the spring.

When the world is celebrating the fact that life keeps going on.

You're a little young to be thinking about punching out.

I'll be 71 come November 28th. That's not too young.

Yeah, but... You'll bury us all.

You want to sign in?

- Do I have any choice? - Not on this ship you don't.

Good morning, Mr Williams. Please press "enter".

Machines that say "please" make me nervous.

Enter thumbprint, please.

- Thank you, Mr Williams. - Guess I'm still me.

Have a good one, Rick.

Falco employees are invited to take their cars through the disinfectant wash

at the end of each day. Thank you.

Tell me when you're clear across the board.

I will, Dr Todhunter.

- He's like a kid on prom night. - Yeah, with Uncle Sam's car.

Two billion dollars for a date with a virgin particle accelerator.

The least he could do is buy us a corsage.

Enough already. Get serious. You know what we're playing with.

I know it. You know it. I just wonder if he knows it.

Soon...

Voice identification, please.

Harlan Williams, tech number 10884. Custodian third.

Just like yesterday.

Thank you, Mr Williams.

Uh-oh.

- It's a secondary override. - I know what it is.

- Dr Todhunter. - What is it?

I've got a red light on a secondary override.

- Now you've done it, Ollie. - Shut up.

Dear God.

- Dr Todhunter, I... - Be quiet!

Gentlemen, we have a green board.

I'm sorry, Sir, but we don't.

For the record, Sir, we have a red on secondary override delta.

Secondary delta override is fine. We have a green board, I tell you.

But Dr Todhunter, you can see for yourself.

Shut up, Redding. You're an intern.

That means you keep your eyes open and your mouth shut. Understand?

Yes, Sir, Dr Todhunter.

- Dr Todhunter, the regulations... - This is a secondary override switch.

Do you follow me? There. You see?

A bad wire in the go/no-go.

Twenty-nine cents worth of trouble.

- Yes, but the regulations... - I know the damn regulations, Jackson.

There. You see the light flicker green when I tap it?

A symptom one would associate with a faulty go/no-go?

Do you believe I might just have a point here?

Yes, I agree. Chances are 99 in 100 you've got a faulty switch.

For the record, I am willing to accept full responsibility

for proceeding as scheduled.

That's fine, Sir.

This is an untested process that requires a great deal of power.

And...

Very well.

We'll abort.

But in my report of this particular Gold Series test,

this Gold Series non-test, I should say,

I'll be careful to spell your name right, Dr Jackson.

Very well. Back to work.

14...

23...

and 2.

It's 32. 32. Not 23.

And 2.

Hey, Harlan. How are you doing?

Fine, Billy. How are you?

I signed up for this mail order taxidermy class.

Figured I can practice on all them animals zapped by the fence.

People pay good money for well-mounted specimens.

That's what the book said.

That's good, Billy. Everybody should have a hobby.

We're still gonna do the floor in the rec area, ain't we?

I've got the seal.

Sure. Yeah, we are.

I opened the windows, like you said. You know, because of the fumes.

Good, Billy. That's good.

Sounds like the mad scientists finally got it working.

Whatever it is.

You want me to wait for you?

I'll... I'll see you there.

See ya.

Harlan Williams. This is for Harlan Williams.

10884. Please locate.

Williams here. Employee locker room, level four.

Please report to administration immediately.

- As soon as I finish changing. - Thank you.

It is just the light, Tommy.

Fine. It's the light.

Scientific history, gentlemen. You were here in the year zero.

- Correction. "Ground zero". - Not funny.

Not trying to be.

Hello, Mrs Rogers.

You wanted to see me?

Major Moreland wants to see you.

Major Moreland?

Immediately, Mr Williams.

Yes, Sir.

Come.

- Major Moreland. - Sit down, Williams.

What did you want to see me about?

This.

I don't understand.

It means that when you took your last physical, you flunked the eye test.

Your vision is now below the level set by the Department of Defense

for civilian workers.

- How much below? - Just over 6%.

6%?

It falls outside the acceptable range.

- So I'm afraid... - I'll get new glasses.

It wouldn't matter.

- You're 71, you know. - 70.

Mr Williams...

Your vision is deficient, even with the glasses.

The regulations on this point are clear.

Damn right they are. That's why you haven't seen the end of it.

- What do you mean? - I mean I can read.

I follow all the employee updates.

I can retake the eye examination if I want to.

Retake the eye exam by all means.

- Be my guest. - No, I don't need to be your guest.

- It's the law. - Ah, yes. "The law".

Commence primary sequence, gentlemen.

- What if it's not just the light? - Go on, Tommy.

Go on!

In three, two, one. Initiate.

It was cleaner in the old days. You turned 65 and...

Chop.

"Chop". I see.

But the real reason, Mr Williams, is that people get stale.

Young blood is the key to success in any business.

When I was a kid,

my mom would buy a beef roast at least once a month

for Sunday dinner.

It really cost too much for her budget.

But my dad... He loved a good beef roast more than anything in the world.

She would take that roast and she would bring it to the table.

And my dad would carve it.

I can just see him now. I...

As clear as day.

On Monday,

my two brothers and I would have cold beef sandwiches in our lunch pails.

On Tuesday, we'd have casserole. Wednesday... chipped beef on toast.

- And on Thursday... - Major Moreland, I...

I haven't the foggiest idea what you're talking about.

On Thursdays, Mr Williams, if there was anything left of that roast,

my mother threw it away.

And we were glad to see it go.

Now, my dad didn't make enough money that we could just

chuck beef into the garbage, but...

My mom knew.

My mom knew that meat only keeps so long.

After a while, it gets randy.

And randy meat can make you sick.

You're a jerk. Do you know that?

A total worthless jerk.

It's been my experience when people say such things, Mr Williams,

meaningful discussion has come to an end.

I am not a roast of beef!

Secondary sequence!

Go on, Tommy.

More power than a supernova.

God help us if it goes wrong.

Nothing's going to go wrong.

Tertiary sequence, right now!

Dr Todhunter, I've got reds on primary overrides!

Dr Todhunter!

Dr Todhunter! Overload across the board!

Shut it down! He's on another planet.

Shut it down! You want to die? Shut it down!

No response on the primaries.

We burned out busses as well as overrides.

Then shut it all down. Pull the plug!

Don't do that!

Do you know how long it will take to power up?

Don't you get it? This place will go sky high!

Help us, for God's sake! You son of a bitch!

Now you've done it. Calling him names. We're fired for sure.

No need to panic. Everyone remain calm.

Stay at your stations!

I think we got it.

I think maybe we did.

Wait a minute.

A local news bulletin.

A grain silo exploded at Falco Plains Agricultural Testing Station.

A spokeswoman for the facility said there were no injuries.

An update on the hour.

Falco Plains.

- Hello. I'd like to... - Sorry, all our circuits are busy.

Please try again later. Thank you.

- Mrs Williams? - Yes.

I'm Terry Spann, Head of Security at Falco Plains. May we come in?

Is my husband all right?

I heard on the radio...

- Are you alone? - Yes.